Photo: Sam Shepherd (right) collects his MA Art Practice from Glyndwr University Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Upton (left)
A former nightclub manager cast aside at state school due to dyslexia is now exhibiting in front of hundreds of visitors to a Shropshire tourist attraction after returning to study in his 30s to follow his passion for art.
Sam Shepherd, of Shrewsbury, admits himself to being a difficult and challenging person owing to learning difficulties which saw him educated at specialist dyslexia school Maple Hays Hall aged 10 to 16.
But he views them as a creative gift which has seen him gain undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Glyndŵr University and open his own workshop at the British Ironwork Centre, Oswestry, all within the last six years.
Sam is now earning a living from bespoke jewellery and sculptures created at the facility, which he opened over the summer after graduating with an MA in Art Practice from the Wrexham institution.
Sam collected his degree in a ceremony at the William Aston Hall on Friday October 30.
“The learning variants have been a contributing positive in getting me where I am today,” said Sam.
“I just hadn’t found a career which suited my skills until my late 20s, when I discovered I needed to be working with my hands and doing something practical.
“I worked in bars and ran themed nights at a club in Shrewsbury for years and for the most part it was a job I loved, although I wasn’t best suited to it.
“Because of my personality and learning differences interacting with people doesn’t come easy – I find it hard to read people’s facial expressions and body language.”
Sam began making and selling jewellery part-time in 2005 while still working within the licensed trade as a relief manager, before joining Glyndŵr University’s Applied Arts course in 2009.
Access to a student loan to cover living costs provided the opportunity for him to concentrate on art full-time and he graduated three years later with a 2.1.
And after things went wrong with his marriage, Sam decided to return to Wrexham to study for an MA.
He said: “Glyndŵr University was where I could spread out, put everything back together and get my life back on track.
“I was on the road to self-destruction and it probably saved my life. I was welcomed back here with open arms, I was safe here.
“The lecturers and support team have been extraordinary. I was in such a bad place but they’ve pulled me through and I’m incredibly grateful to them for that.
“The first time I was accepted by the university I was reduced to tears. For the first time in my life I was being given an opportunity to do something I was incredibly passionate about.
“I learn differently to the majority of students but, here, there is a place for everyone.”
Sam’s work featured in a recent exhibition in Glyndŵr University’s Oriel Sycharth Gallery. It features a collection of photographs produced using concave and convex mirrors, exploring the theme of humans in a convulsive state.
The collection was inspired by the life of his brother, James, who has been wheelchair-bound with severe epilepsy since he was hit by a car aged seven.
“Without his epilepsy James wouldn’t be here today so for me that’s a sign of life, although not as most people would interpret it,” added Sam.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else now other than art. The method of education from Maple Hays and the quality of learning from Glyndŵr University has been exceptional. They’ve been a perfect combination for setting me on the right path.
“The whole environment and attitudes towards learning differences has changed completely since I was a kid. There’s still a long way to go but it’s through forward-thinking institutions such as Glyndŵr University that great things can be achieved.”
